Out there, when you
see how civil servants use Government motor cycles for own business, you really
pity the tax payer. In one place, one
guy ferries elephant grass every day. This
means that, the bike that would be used to reach service areas is instead used
by the one assigned to do his business.
It is probable that when such a bike breaks down, Government meets the
repair costs. In case Government money
is not readily available, the user can get from his pocket as he uses it for
personal gain. This leads to poor
service delivery to the people who would otherwise be beneficiary.
Monday, 31 March 2014
NATIONAL ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN POLICY IN UGANDA
BY
THE MINISTRY OF GENDER, LABOUR AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (2004)
FOREWORD
Government
through the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is mandated to
promote social protection of poor and vulnerable children. Such children include orphans, those who live
on the streets, those that toil under exploitative conditions of labour as well
as those that suffer sexual abuse and other forms of discrimination.
The
HIV/AIDS pandemic has greatly contributed to the huge numbers of orphans and
other vulnerable children that are now overwhelming the extended family support
systems in the country. This situation
is exacerbated by conflict in some parts of the country and other preventable
diseases such as Malaria and Tuberculosis.
The National Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children Policy (NOP) will
contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of such children and their
families. This Policy will inform
programmes, legal and administrative actions that affect the safety, well –
being and development of orphans, vulnerable children and their care-givers.
The
process of developing this Policy has been consultative and participatory
involving a cross section of duty bearers and rights holders.
This
Policy is an essential part of the Social Development Strategic Investment Plan
(SDIP), which is an integral part of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan
(PEAP). The implementation of this
policy will involve other Government Ministries, Local Authorities, Civil
Society Organizations, the Private Sector, Orphans and Vulnerable Children
themselves, Communities as well as the families they live in.
1.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
The population of Uganda is
estimated at 25 million (2004) and is projected to double by the year 2025
because of the high population growth rate of 3.4% per annum. The population is young with more than half
below 18 years of age and only about 2 percent being above 65 years of
age. A fifth of the population is below
five years, while a quarter is of primary school age (6 – 12 years).
1.1.1
Poverty
Poverty
prevents the enjoyment of basic human rights, security and well-being. The rapidly increasing population of Uganda
coupled with the low resources base has put significant pressure on the
delivery of basic social services, particularly to children. Poverty remains high and its prevalence
varies by population group, region, rural/urban divide. In Uganda, 38% of the populations live in
absolute poverty with children constituting 62% of the poor. The number of children who live below the
poverty line is likely to rise due to the high fertility rate, HIV/AIDS, other
preventable diseases and insecurity.
Other causes of poverty include limited access and control of productive
assets especially by women, limited utilization of improved production
technologies, large families, alcoholism, unemployment, underemployment, lack
of markets, inadequate opportunities for education and lack of information.
1.1.2
Health
Despite
efforts of the health sector in service delivery, the demand for health
services is growing while access to health services at the community level
remains limited. The cost of ill health,
which includes treatment costs, productivity loss and interrupted school
attendance is crippling, particularly to children and the poor. Women and children bear a disproportionate
amount of the burden of ill health.
Infant and under – five mortality rates are currently at 88 and 152 out
of every 1,000 born alive respectively, while the maternal mortality rate is
504 per 100,000 to mothers. Stunting as
a consequence of malnutrition in children less than five years is 39%, which indicates
that access to food is one of the top concerns for children and the poor.
1.1.3
Education
Education
as a means of fighting poverty and reducing vulnerability is one of the top
priorities for children. The Government
has given due attention to basic education, resulting in substantial increase
in primary school enrolment, particularly for the poorest quintile and the girl
– child.
Unfortunately,
there has been a decline in primary school retention in the past few years due
to high drop out rates. Furthermore,
regional, rural and urban disparities still exist in school enrolment with a
higher proportion of children enrolled in urban areas and the relatively more
prosperous central region. The main
barriers to access and full participation of children in education include,
costs of scholastic and basic requirements, cost of post-primary schooling,
disability, ill health, early marriages, teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment,
heavy burden of household chores, distance to school, insecurity and poor
nutrition or no meals both in schools and at home. Inspite of the Universal Primary Education
(UPE) programme, 3% of primary school age children were not in school. In addition, many more children who were in
school were not consistently attending classes.
Consequently, the transition rate from primary to post – primary and
tertiary levels has been low and very few children are now likely to complete
primary and continue to higher levels of education.
1.1.4
Conflict
Insecurity
in some parts of the country has disrupted the provision of basic social services
and family lives. This led to the
breakdown of cultural, traditional and moral values and support structures as
well as a dramatic increase in the number of women and child-headed households. In addition, violence meted out against
individuals and communities has left them with psychosocial problems that
predispose them to behavioural change that increase the likelihood of acquiring
HIV/AIDS. This is particularly
pronounced in women and girl children.
1.1.5
HIV/AIDS
Since
the pandemic started, the country has lost about one million people and this
contributed significantly to an estimated 2.3 million orphans. Approximately 14% of children in Uganda les
than 18 years of age are orphans, among those, 20% of children 6 – 17 years are
orphans. Even if the fresh HIV
infections ceased today, the population already infected constitutes a massive
potential for swelling the number of orphans in the country.
1.2
The Situation of Orphans and
Other Vulnerable Children
Ugandan communities have
traditionally absorbed orphans within the extended family system. One in four households in Uganda fosters at
least one orphan by providing for health, shelter, nutrition, education and
other needs. However, many of these care
– givers are overburdened and often lack the socio-economic capacity to provide
adequate care and support for these children.
Community organizations, religious bodies and other civil society
members have stepped in by providing information, vocational training, basic
education, medical care, and counseling and micro-credit services. These groups too, often lack the human and
financial resources to adequately respond to the problem.
Many children who are
orphaned are forced to live on the streets or under exploitative conditions of
labour, sexual abuse, prostitution and other forms of abuse. Many live in child – headed households where
they have to fend for themselves and support their younger siblings. Some of these children are infected with HIV
either through mother to child transmission or through defilement.
1.3
Existing Laws, Policies and
Institutional Framework
Uganda has shown its
commitment to the welfare of children through adoption and implementation of
both national and international policy and legal instruments that concern
children. Two key legal instruments in
this regard are the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) and the
Children’s Act (2003).
1.3.1
National Legal Framework
The
Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) is the overriding National Legal
Framework for ensuring that the rights of children and general population are
protected. The Constitution provides
special protection to children in general and vulnerable children in
particular. It makes specific mention of
the rights of children to know and to be cared for by their parents or
guardians, access medical treatment, ad be protected from all forms of
exploitation and abuse.
The
Children’s Act (2003) operationalises Constitutional issues concerning children
in Uganda. Other relevant legislation
include the National Council for Children Statute (1996), the National Youth
Council Act (2003), the Penal Code Act (Cap. 160), the Local Governments Act
(1997), and the Succession Act (1964).
1.3.2
International Legal Framework
At
the international level, Uganda has ratified the following Conventions:
i.
United
nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990),
ii.
The
organization of African Unity Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
(1990);
iii.
The
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(1979); and
iv.
The
ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (1973)
and the ILO Convention No. 182 on the prohibition of the Worst Forms of Child
Labour (1999).
Uganda is party to other international
instruments regarding orphans and other vulnerable children. These include the Declaration of Commitment
on HIV/AIDS, UNGASS on HIV/AIDS (2001), a World Fit for Children Declaration
(2001), the Millennium Development Goals (2000).
1.3.3
National Development
Framework
The
overarching National Development Framework in the long – term is the Uganda
Vision 2025 and the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). This Policy will therefore help promote:
i.
Harmonious
co-existence that promotes social inclusion and integration among the people of
Uganda.
ii.
Effective
governance through a democratic process.
iii.
A
healthy, well – educated society with a high quality of life.
iv.
Equal
opportunities, empowerment and economic prosperity for all.
Furthermore, there are a
number of complementary policies and programmes that impact on the welfare of
children. These include the, Uganda
National Programme of Action for Children (UNPAC), the National Health Policy,
the Universal Primary Education Programme, the National Population Policy, the
National Youth Policy, the National Gender Policy, the Basic Education Policy
for Disadvantaged Groups, the Anti-Retroviral Treatment Policy for Uganda, the
Policy for Reduction of Mother to Child HIV Transmission and the Programme for
Modernization of Agriculture (PMA).
1.3.4
National Implementation
Framework
The
Ministry of Gender, labour and Social Development (MGLSD) is the Lead Agency
mandated to ensure that the rights of all children including orphans and other
vulnerable children are promoted and upheld.
The Social Development Sector Strategic Investment Plan (SDIP) provides
the framework that has been developed for addressing inequality, vulnerability
and exclusion of orphans and vulnerable children, among others. The SDIP aims at creating an enabling
environment for the poor and vulnerable groups or persons to develop their
capacities and take advantage of opportunities to improve their livelihoods for
a gender – responsive sustainable development.
The Ministry is supported in this responsibility by the national Council
for Children (NCC), other Government Ministries, Agencies, Development Partners
and Civil Society organizations. The
existing implementation framework requires that interventions will be
consistent with Government policies and plans.
2.0
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Policy is an essential
part of the SDIP, which is an integral part of the PEAP. Orphans and other vulnerable children require
special attention in form of access to basis social services. The policy provides the framework for
responding to the concerns and needs of orphans and other vulnerable children.
The Guiding Principles
underlying the Policy are:
2.1
Building on the Human Rights
– Based Approach to Programming
The
Policy is based on a Human Right Approach to Programming (HRAP) by seeking to
realize the rights of orphans and other vulnerable children, who are often
disadvantaged.
2.2
Making the family and
Community the First Line of Response
The
family is the basic unit for the growth and development of children. A strong family unit with a caring adult is a
pre- requisite for the re-integration of orphans and other vulnerable
children. Care giving outside the family
by the community, which is the second line of defence, will foster an
atmosphere of a family – like nature to ensure that the family does not
disintegrate further in the face of HIv/AIDS, conflicts and other actors with
child protection responsibilities will recognize that immediate threats to
children’s safety and well being may also come from their families and
communities.
2.3
Focusing on the Most
Vulnerable Children and Communities
The
focus will be on the most vulnerable children who are with out families and may
not be orphans, with the intention of re-integrating them back into the
family. Secondly, attention will be on
the most needy households of adults and children that may or may not contain an
orphan, with the intention of mitigating the impact of vulnerability in
Uganda’s current context of HIV/AIDS, poverty and gender.
2.4
Reduce Vulnerability
A
Special focus will be on the alleviation of poverty of vulnerable children and
households, maintaining children in school over the long term, providing for
their health, particularly HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support
activities. Priority will also be given
to providing preventive health care and psychosocial support to orphans, other
vulnerable children and their care-givers.
2.5
Facilitating Community
Participation and Empowerment
This
will involve sustained promotion of community initiatives and taking into
account the capabilities of the community with a view to strengthening them.
2.6
Promoting Gender Equity
This
will entail taking into account and examining the relationship between men and
women, boys and girls. These
relationships will be examined during planning, programming, monitoring and
evaluation, with special focus on the most vulnerable children and communities
to ensure that neither gender is being marginalized nor disadvantaged.
2.7
Treating Recipients with
Respect
Families
and communities will be encouraged to treat orphans and other vulnerable
children with respect. They are not to
be treated as helpless victims but as actors in their own right. They will be entitled to express their own
views and be actively involved in matters that concern them.
2.8
Reducing Discrimination and
Stigmatization
Stigmatization
and discrimination, which act as barrier to the vulnerable child and family to
accessing support will be minimized.
2.9
Ensuring the Social Inclusion
of Marginalized Groups
Orphans
and other vulnerable children will be involved in the development process,
particularly in affairs that affect them.
2.10
Ensuring the Participation of
Vulnerable Children Families
This
will involve making orphans, other vulnerable children and their families part
of the solution by seeking their opinions at every step during the planning,
programming, monitoring and evaluation of interventions.
2.11
Strengthening Partnerships
This
will involve strengthening partnerships and networks between existing
households and communities with government, private sector, development
partners and CSOs, for sustainable service delivery at all levels.
2.12
Delivering Integrated and
Holistic Services
All
interventions for orphans and other vulnerable children by all actors at all
levels will include the relevant components of the basic services to orphans
and other vulnerable children.
2.13
Supporting Services Delivery
through Decentralization
The
decentralized structures at the district and lower levels will be strengthened
to ensure quality and sustainable delivery of services to orphans and other
vulnerable children.
2.14
Designing Age – Sensitive
Programmes
Interventions
designed will take into account the different ages of the target groups being
served.
3.0
VISION, MISSION AND VALUES
3.1
Vision
The
Vision of the Policy is a society where all orphans and other vulnerable
children live to their full potential and their rights and aspirations are
fulfilled.
3.2
Mission
The
Mission of the Policy is to provide a framework for the enjoyment of rights and
fulfillment of the responsibilities of the orphans and other vulnerable
children.
3.3
Values
The Core values of the Policy
are, Love, Care and Compassion.
4.0
GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND
STRATEGIES
4.1
Goal
The
goal of the Policy is full development and realization of rights of orphans and
other vulnerable children.
4.2
Objectives
The
Policy Objectives are:
i.
To
ensure that the legal, policy and institutional framework for child protection
is developed and strengthened at all levels;
ii.
To
ensure that orphans, vulnerable children and their families access basic
essential services package;
iii.
To
ensure that resources for interventions that benefit orphans and other
vulnerable children are mobilize and efficiently utilized; and
iv.
To
ensure tha capacity of duty-bearers for orphans and other vulnerable children
to provide essential services is enhanced.
4.3
Strategies
The
Strategies are:
4.3.1
Direct
Interventions
i.
Provide
support to vulnerable children and families such that their capacity to sustain
themselves is strengthened; and
ii.
Provide
residential care for orphans and other vulnerable children as a last resort.
4.3.2
Mobilization, Advocacy and
Promotion
i.
Mobilize
resources to ensure that the policy is implemented;
ii.
Advocate
effectively at all levels to ensure that concerns of orphans and other
vulnerable children are appreciated;
iii.
Use
the media to promote mitigation and care efforts; and
iv.
Advocate
for the strengthening of positive cultural values that foster for the care and
protection of orphans and vulnerable children.
4.3.3
Collaboration and Linkages
i.
Implement
interventions through local authorities, CSOs, the private sector, networks and
other actors to enhance capacity and increase outreach; and
ii.
Lobby
other sectors to address the situation of orphans and other vulnerable
children.
4.3.4
Leadership
Use
a leadership platform at all levels to galvanize national attention to the
issues of orphans and other vulnerable children.
4.3.5
Gender
Promote
awareness of the impact of vulnerability on male and female children who are
care givers.
4.3.6
Monitoring and Evaluation
i.
Ensure
that the Policy is integrated into the M & E systems of other sectors; and
ii.
Document
and disseminate best practices and experiences learnt for scaling up
interventions at all levels.
5.0
POLICY PRIORITIES
Government will focus on
services that are cost – effective and have the greatest impact on reducing
vulnerability and improving the welfare of orphans and other vulnerable
children to promote equity.
Interventions that build capacity and improve quality and effectiveness
will be supported and implemented in an integrated manner. The priority areas of focus are care and
support, child protection, education, health, food security, conflict
resolution and peace – building. These
interventions constitute the Essential Services Package for orphans and other
vulnerable children.
5.1
Socio – economic Security
Families
living with orphans and other vulnerable children often lack resources to cater
for their needs. This undermines the
fulfillment of their rights. Therefore,
interventions that enhance coping mechanisms of the affected households and
communities will be promoted.
The
Interventions will include:
i.
Promoting
micro-finance initiatives that benefit households caring for orphans and other
vulnerable children;
ii.
Improving
households’ productivity;
iii.
Promoting
apprenticeships, vocational and life long skills training;
iv.
Encouraging
labour – intensive initiatives; and
v.
Establishing
effective community – based mechanisms for monitoring the socio – economic
welfare of orphans and other vulnerable children.
5.2
Food and Nutrition Security
A
large household size coupled with poor infrastructure, uneven food
distribution, poor food storage, inadequate nutritional knowledge, socio –
cultural barriers, civil strife, diseas and poverty are contributing to food
insecurity. Consequently, there is high
prevalence of malnutrition especially among children under five years of age
and lactating mothers.
Interventions
will include:
i.
Providing
adequate nutritious food to households caring for orphans and other vulnerable
children in emergency situations;
ii.
Improving
productivity and storage of food in households caring for orphans and other
vulnerable children;
iii.
Strengthening
nutrition education targeting such households; and
iv.
Establishing
community - based early warning food
security systems and mechanisms.
5.3
Care and Support
Care
and support will include provision of basic physical, cognitive and
psychosocial needs of orphans, other vulnerable children and their care –
givers on a sustainable basis.
The
Interventions will include:
i.
Empowering
families and communities to provide quality care and support for orphans and
other vulnerable children; and
ii.
Providing
for basic needs.
5.4
Mitigating the Impact of
Conflict
Armed
conflict and other forms of violence have negatively impacted on the lives of
many children. Areas recently affected
by armed conflict tend to have the worst human development indices, with wide
disparities in economic, educational and health status compared to the rest of
the country.
Interventions
will include:
i.
Strengthening
community resilience to mitigate the negative impact of conflict;
ii.
Provide
psychosocial support to orphans, other vulnerable children, their families and
communities;
iii.
Mobilizing
community mechanisms to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect;
iv.
Strengthening
partnerships between government and other actors; and
v.
Improving
delivery of health care services.
5.5
Education
Education
is an important requirement for the development of a child. Schools provide children with the opportunity
for emotional support, interaction with other children and the development of
social capital. Education can also
reduce vulnerability to poverty, HIV/AIDS and other diseases through increasing
knowledge, awareness, skills and opportunities.
Despite the availability of opportunities for education through the
Universal Primary Education Programme, many orphans and other vulnerable
children are not going to school and those that are, do not attend classes
regularly.
Interventions
will include:
i.
Promoting
access to education and retention of orphans and other vulnerable children in
school; and
ii.
Improving
the functional adult literacy and numeracy of care – givers.
5.6
Psychosocial Support
Psychosocial
issues are cross – cutting and are a critical component of all aspects of
prevention, care and support will therefore be addressed in all sectors.
The
primary actors in children’s psychosocial support are their families and
communities. Since psychosocial effecs
are both psychological and social, the interventions will address the
relationship between the individual and the social environment.
Interventions
will include:
i.
Providing
emotional support to children;
ii.
Strengthening
capacity of communities to provide counseling; and
iii.
Encouraging
the establishment of community – based child friendly recreational facilities.
5.7
Health
This
Policy will improve accessibility to the Uganda National Minimum Health Care
Package (UNMHCP).
5.8
Child Protection
Child
Protection entails initiatives that prevent violation of the rights of children
in relation to serious risks and hazards.
Interventions
will include:
i.
Designing
and developing appropriate instruments and interventions to protect children
with different needs;
ii.
Promoting
improved child – friendly legal protection systems, procedures and facilities;
iii.
Strengthening
family and community mechanisms that prevent the bereaved from inheriting
property; and Sensitizing communities about the rights and responsibilities of
children.
6.0
TARGET GROUPS
The categories of children to
be targeted include:
1. Orphans
2. Children affected by armed
conflict.
3. Children abused or neglected.
4. Children in conflict with the
law.
5. Children affected by HIV/AIDS
or other diseases.
6. Children in need of
alternative family care.
7. Children affected by
disability.
8. Children in ‘hard – to –
reach’ area.
9. Children living under the
worst forms of labour
10. Children living on the
streets.
7.0
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
7.1
Ministry of Gender, Labour
and Social Development
The
MGLSD will provide leadership in coordinating the implementation of this
Policy.
7.2
Other Government Ministries,
Agencies and Departments
Other
Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments will be responsible for
ensuring implementation of the Policy in their respective sectors.
7.3
Local Authorities
The
role of the Local authorities in implementation of this policy will be to
co-ordinate, supervise, monitor, mobilize resources and disseminate it at district
and lower levels.
7.4
The Private Sector
The
responsibility of the Private Sector will be to:
i.
Design
and implement initiatives for improved protection and care;
ii.
Contribute
resources;
iii.
Design
and implement work place policies that protect orphans and other vulnerable
children from exploitation and abuse; and
iv.
Collaborate
with Government and other actors to implement this Policy.
7.5
Civil Society Organizations
Civil
Society Organizations will be responsible for building partnerships and network
with government, other agencies and communities in the implementation of this
policy.
7.6
The Community
The
Community will have responsibility to:
i.
Provide
love, guidance and attention children need to develop in a healthy way to
become active members of the community;
ii.
Strengthen
social support mechanisms to protect and promote the welfare of orphans and
other vulnerable children;
iii.
Link
service providers with orphans and other vulnerable children;
iv.
Facilitate
succession planning;
v.
Mobilize
resources to improve the care and support of orphans and other vulnerable
children; and
vi.
Encourage
community discussions to identify cultural and religious norms and practices
that negatively affect orphans and other vulnerable children.
7.7
The Children
The
orphans and other vulnerable children will:
i.
Participate
in identifying factors that cause their vulnerability;
ii.
Participate
in identifying and planning initiatives that improve their welfare; and
iii.
Participate
in monitoring the implementation of this policy.
8.0
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring and evaluation
functions shall be undertaken at all levels to enhance accountability and
effectiveness. This will require
developing and establishing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, which include
the following:
i.
Developing
monitoring indicators into activities in every sector beginning with the
planning stage;
ii.
Establishing
internal evaluation structures to look at the effectiveness and impact of this
Policy;
iii.
Preparing
and disseminating the reports; and
iv.
Reviewing
the Policy.
9.0
CONCEPTS AND DEFINATIONS
Absolute Poverty: The state
in which a person is living at a subsistence level that is below the minimum
requirements for physical well – being, usually based on a quantitative proxy
indicator such as income or calorie intake, but sometimes taking into account a
broader package of goods and services
Essential Services Package:
These are the priority interventions that will provide a supportive environment
for orphans and other vulnerable children to live to their full potential. The priority areas of focus include socio –
economic security, food security and nutrition, care and support, mitigating
the impact of conflict, education, psychosocial support, health, child
protection, legal support and capacity enhancement.
Care – Giver: The individual,
usually the mother, who takes primary responsibility for the physical, mental
and emotional needs and well – being of a child.
Child: a person who is below
the age of 18 years.
Claim –Holders: groups whose
universally recognized entitlements are or are not being provided for by the
societies they live in and whose rights are thus being upheld or violated.
Community: A group of people,
usually living in an identifiable geographical area, who share a common
culture, and are arranged in a social structure that allows them to exhibit
some awareness of a common identity as a group.
Duty – bearers: Individuals
or institutions that are responsible for the progressive realization of
specific rights. Duty – bearers acquire
duties through designation, position or election. They will include the family, the community
and national as well as local government.
Disability: Substantial
functional limitation of daily life activities of an individual caused by
physical, sensory or mental impairment and environmental barriers.
Discrimination: These are
acts of treating individuals or groups differently in relation to services,
privileges, rights and benefits.
Empowerment: Process of
giving voice to the disenfranchised and allowing the poor and vulnerable have
access to the tools and materials they need to forge their own destines by
allowing each and every household the possibility of becoming producers of
their own welfare, rather than consumers of others’ charity.
Epidemic: a localized
outbreak of a disease within a population that is limited in location,
magnitude and duration.
Extended Family: This is a
collection of a number of households or families of individuals who are related
by blood and with social ties and responsibilities towards one another.
Family: A group consisting of
one or more parents and or their offspring and close relations that provides a
setting for social and economic security, transmission of values, protection
and affection for the family members.
Gender: Refers to the social
relationship between women and men as opposed to biological sex differences.
Gender equality: Equal
opportunity and equal enjoyment by women and men, girls and boys, of rights,
resources and rewards.
Gender equity: Means fairness
and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between males
and females.
Gender Sensitivity: Refers to
the ability to recognize issues related to the relationship between males and
females, and especially the ability to recognize differences in perceptions and
interests between males and females arising from their different social
position and different gender roles.
Guardian: Any person caring
for a non – biological child whose parents cannot do so for one reason or the
other.
Household: A group who
normally live and eat together in one spatial unit and share domestic functions
and activities.
Human Rights: These are
inalienable entitlements that are agreed upon through consensus that they can
be claimed by anyone based on their needs and aspirations.
Marginalized: This is a term
used to refer to persons in society who are deprived of opportunities for
living a respectable and reasonable life that is regarded as normal by the
community to which they belong.
Multi-sectoral Approach: The
process of involving and bringing together all essential service providers
including Government, private sector, development partners, and civil society
organizations such as international and national NGOs, faith based
organizations, religious institutions, cultural leaders and community – based
organizations, in order to plan on and maximize how a population is best served
and provided with a comprehensive set of services.
Orphans: A child below the
age of 18 years who has lost one or both parents.
Pandemic: A wide spread
outbreak of a diseas within a population that is extensive in location,
magnitude and duration.
Psychosocial: All actions
that enable orphans and other vulnerable children to live meaningful and
positive lives.
Poor or needy: People whose
lives are characterized and plagued by such constraints as illiteracy, disease,
powerlessness and inability to meet the basic necessities of life.
Poverty: The inability of an
individual, family or community to attain a minimum standard of living. This is evidenced by the lack of basic needs
and services such as food, clothing, bedding, shelter, paraffin, basic health
care, roads, markets, education, information and communication. Poverty dimension of social exclusion,
powerlessness, ignorance and lack of knowledge are also drawn to key definitions
of poverty in Uganda.
Rights: (Refer to Human
Rights)
Responsibility: The social
force that binds one’s obligations that result in a specific and individualized
course of action.
Stigmatization: That is wide
spread behavior of societal attitude that renders a person or a group of people
feel worthless or helpless as a result of an ailment disability or inferior
social status.
Social inclusion: This act of
ensuring that concerns of the vulnerable and those at risk are taken care of in
development policies and programmes.
Values: A set of ideals that
are normatively shared by members of a community and are shaped by several
influences including idealogy, religion, culture, history and political systems.
Vulnerability: A state of
being or likely to be in a risky situation, where a person is likely to suffer
significant physical, emotional or mental harm that may result in their human
rights nor being fulfilled.